Friday, April 11, 2008

I admit I loved the Celebrity Apprentice show this season - but I disagree with Donald Trump selecting the unlikeable Piers Morgan as the winner. Piers won the challenges and raised the most money for his charity but managed to tick people off along the way. He came across as ruthless, arrogant and disrespectful; traits which he accused Donald Trump of having.

To jazz up your sales in the short-term you can take the "Piers Morgan, in your face, I'm smart and your dumb" attitude. Obviously it worked for Piers. But to sustain jazzy sales you have to take the "Trace Adkins, let's collaborate, aw-shucks, nice guy" attitude. People will only buy once from a person or a company they don't like. Customers learn fast. And just because you are likeable doesn't mean you aren't business savvy. Quite the contrary. Being likeable means you REALLY get the big picture.

I recently read the premiere issue of SUCCESS magazine where Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz says, "Success should not be measured in dollars. It's about how you conduct the journey and how big your heart is at the end of it." I'm not sure I agree with his comments about dollars (revenue is key!) - but I do agree with the intent of his statement. And that is, your character and integrity are ways to measure your success because they produce trust and loyalty with your customers.

About Me

Although many people think it's a nickname, my name is really "Zan." I have some great nicknames: Zanadu, Tarzan, Zan Antonio, Zany, Zanzibar & ShaZan! I am a marketing and sales professional who loves the challenge and creativity behind what makes people decide to buy.